Device for removing,replacing and applying coke-oven cell sealing plugs on their seats



April 1969 E. J. B. E. CANIVEZ 3,437,563 REPLACING AND APPLYING COKE-OVEN CELL SEALING PLUGS ON THEIR SEATS DEVICE FOR REMOVING,

Sheet I of 3 Apnl 1969 E. J. B. E. CANIVEZ 3' DEVICE FOR REMOVING, REPLACING AND APPLYING COKE-OVEN CELL SEALING PLUGS ON THEIR SEATS Filed April 5, 1965 Sheet 2 of s Sheet p 1969 E. J. B. E. CANIVEZ DEVICE FOR REMOVING, REPLACING AND APPLYING COKE-OVEN CELL SEALING PLUGS ON THEIR SEATS Flled Aprll 5 1965 US. Cl. 202262 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for removing, replacing and sealingly applying against a seat a plug closing a charging hole of a coke oven cell, comprising a gripping means for the plug which can be rotated substantially concentrically with the axis of a plug resting on its seat and a tubular shaft axially slidable and rotatably mounted in a bearing for being raised and lowered and turned relative to a support, a transverse arm being supported at the lower extremity of said tubular shaft and .in turn supporting at one end a motor and at the other end the plug gripping means which is coupled to the motor via a transmission shaft in said arm connected between said motor and said gripping means.

Conventional gravity-filled type coke-ovens can be fed by means of a loading-car equipped with a plurality of hoppers which are emptied into the cells.

The filling holes located at the top of the oven and through which the mixture to be coked is introduced must be sealed by metal plugs which are removed before filling and replaced afterwards. These plugs cooperate with seats which are also made of metal.

The removing and replacing operations are usually performed manually. The seats and the plugs, which become covered with partly coked coal and with more or less hardened tars, are likewise cleaned manually.

It is the object of the present invention to permit mechanizing the operations of plug removal and replacement, and plug and seat cleaning, the cleaning operation in particular being accomplished by a rotation of the plug relatively to its seat.

The invention accordingly relates to a plug removal and replacement mechanism comprising plug gripping members, raising and lowering means, means for retracting said gripping members and means for rotating the same.

In one specific form of embodiment, said raising and lowering means are slidably and rotatably mounted whereby to permit retraction into supports rigid with a loadingcar. Actuating means such as electromechanical or fluidtype actuators provide the raising and rotating motions required for retraction.

The raising means are preferably rigid with a retraction arm carrying, in mutually balanced fashion, a motor at one end and rotatably mounted plug-gripping means at the other end, which arm has associated therewith a trans- 3,437,563 Patented Apr. 8, 1969 ice mission system connecting said motor to said gripping means.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention, said gripping means are connected to their actuating shaft through the medium of a joint which permits compensating not only for misalignments between said actuating shaft and the axis of the corresponding plug, but also for errors of parallelism between said shaft and said axis.

In one specific constructional form, this joint consists of a cross formed by elements pivotally and slidably mounted in two pairs of bearings carried by a drive plate and a gripping plate, respectively, the latter plate being provided on its underside with fastening means adapted to cooperate by pivotal engagement with corresponding elements provided on the top of each plug.

This joint is associated with means for substantially restoring the position of the plug when the latter is replaced above its seat after having been removed.

The description which follows with reference to the accompanying nonlimitative exemplary drawings will give a clear understanding of how the invention can be carried into practice.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows, in fragmental fashion, a side view of the plug removing and replacing mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows in fragmental section, on an enlarged scale, the manner in which the plug pivoting and raising head is devised;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the coupling between the tubular raising shaft and the associated actuating shaft;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental view of the joint between the mechanism-bearing arm and the tubular raising shaft.

FIG. 6 shows partially and on a reduced scale the mounting of such a device on the base of a coal-car, said device being represented in a position of opening of a plug.

FIG. 7 shows, more partially, such a device in a closing position of said plug.

FIGS. 8 and 9 represent corresponding plan views.

The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a tubular shaft 1 guided in bearings 2 which are fixed to the structure of a loading-car 31a (FIG. 6). The cooperation between the tubular shaft 1 and the bearings 2 is such as to permit said shaft to slide and pivot therein.

Vertical movement of the vertical shaft 1 is provided by mounting therethrough a rod 3 carrying a collar 4 positioned between two thrust bearings 5 and 6 (see FIG. 4). These bearings are pressed against.the collar 4 by frustoconical linings 7 placed against the perimeters of the opposed thrust cups 8, the upper cup 8a having a hole 9 formed in its center for passage therethrough of the rod 3.

To the upper end of this rod 3 is connected the plunger of a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator whose stationary portion is rigidly connected to the structure of the machine. Clearly, however, recourse could be had to any other convenient screw, rack, or rod-and-crank mechanism, which could be operated in any suitable way, such as electromechanically. Corresponding detail will be described With reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 hereinafter.

Rotation may be imparted to the vertical shaft 1 by similar means, for instance by a pneumatic or hydraulic actuator driving a rod-and-crank device, since the required oscillation amplitude does not exceed 180. Alternatively, any other convenient electromechanically controlled worm and-wheel, or rack-and-pinion mechanism, for instance, could be utilized.

In view of the inherent simplicity of such raising, lowering and angular oscillation mechanisms, the latter have been omitted from the drawings for greater simplicity in FIGS. 1 to 5.

The lower end of tubular shaft 1 is equipped with a base to which is connected a substantially horizontal hollow retraction arm 11. One end of this arm supports, through the agency of a flange 12, an electric motor 13 whose rotor is coupled to a shaft 14 extending through said arm.

The other end of the arm 11 carries, on a flange 15, a housing 16 into which the shaft 14 penetrates and inside which a worm 17 carried by said shaft engages with a toothed wheel 18 keyed to a pivot 19 which is contained within the housing 16 and rotates in bearings supported by the upper and lower faces of the housing 16, the upper face being a fitted face.

The lower tip of the pivot 19 extends through the lower bearing and is rigidly connected to a circular drive plate 20 positioned beneath said housing.

Dependent from the underneath of plate 20 are diametrically opposed hangers 21 forming cylindrical mutually aligned bearings through which is pivotable and slidable one of the pairs of branches 22 of a cross formed by two mutually perpendicular pairs of equal branches, the second pair 23 being likewise slidable and rotatable in cylindrical bearings formed in hangers 24 rigid with a plug-gripping plate 25. In the specific constructional form shown in the drawing, the lower face of the plate 25 is equipped with a pair of diametrically opposed hooks 26 adapted to cooperate with diametrically opposed hooks 27 equipping the upper face of a plug 28.

In FIG. 3, the frusto-conical rim of the plug 28 is shown to be in contact with the corresponding seat 29 bordering a filling hole 30 formed in the upper wall of a coke-oven cell (as in FIGS. 6 and 9).

As FIG. 5 clearly shows, the joint between the arm 11 and the base 10 of the tubular shaft 1 may be an articulated joint, and said base may accordingly be fitted with a yoke 31 carrying a pin 32 about which the arm 11 is able to pivot in the vertical plane. A set of screws 33 and 34 are fitted to the base in order to limit the oscillating movement of the arm 11 to a relatively small amplitude.

Means are provided for centering the: plug in relation to its seat 29 subsequent to retraction and return into position of the plug 28. Certain of these means will be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 3, and 6 to 9. In the case of FIGS. 6 to 9, which represent the various positions of such a device relative to coke oven cells and coal-car, a tubular shaft 1a is similarly mounted in a bearing 2a integral with the frame of a coal-car 32a. Rod 3a is in this case constituted as a screw cooperating with a rotatable threaded member enclosed in a casing 33a and rotated by a reversible electromotor 34a integral with said casing. Shaft 1a is provided, at the level of bearing 2a, with a finger 35 slidingly mounted in a curved slide 36 of bearing 2a.

In this way, when rod 3a is lifted, with shaft 2a, the latter is first axially moved, and secondly rotated (cooperation of finger 35 with inclined portion of slide 36), then axially moved again, to effect the successive removal of plug 28 and angular-displacement of said plug, outside the access of hole 30 for permitting free communication between said hole and overhanging hopper 32a (FIGS. 6 and 8).

The reverse movements cause the replacing of plug 28 on seat 29 (FIGS. 7 and 9).

With such a device, a single motor 34a is sufficient for obtaining both movements of shaft 1a.

The operation of the devices described hereinabove is as follows:

When it is desired to remove a plug 28, the loadingcar with which the bearings 2 are rigid is brought into the appropriate position. The arm 11 is slewed until the axis of the pivot 19 coincides substantially with that of the plug 28. The tubular shaft 1 is then lowered until the plane containing the hooks 26 drops below the plane containing the heads of the hooks 27. The motor 13 is then actuated and the drive transmitted through the worm 17, the wheel 18, the plate 20, the cross 22-23 and the plate 25 causes the hooks 26 to engage with the hooks 27 in less than half a revolution. If the rotation is continued the plug 28 rotates on its seat 29 and this in turn breaks up any layers of tarry material which may have caused the plug 28 to stick on its seat 29.

After the motor 13 has been stopped, the tubular shaft 1 is raised, thereby removing the plug 28. As soon as sufficient clearance has been obtained, rotation of the tubular shaft 1, enables the plug 28 suspended from the plate 25 by means of the hooks 26 and 27 to be retracted sideways, thus giving access to the hole 30 to enable the subjacent cell, for example, to be filled.

After charging is completed, the operations described above are repeated in reverse order, resulting in the plug 28 being replaced on its seat 29. Further rotation of the motor 13 in the same direction causes the plug to be rotated, thereby lapping the plug on its seat, whereby proper sealing is restored by driving away any coal particles which may have become lodged therebetween, thus ensuring good contact with the tarry substances, which will have been meanwhile made smooth and regular. A limited reverse rotation of the motor 13 will disengage the books 26 and 27, thereby freeing the mechanical plug-removing and replacing mechanism which can then be raised. Together with the machine 31a (coalcar) of which it is an integral part, this mechanism can then be moved above another cell after the hoppers 32a of said coal-car have been filled, and the above operations repeated.

It is to be noted that the cross 22-23 mounted in the bearings 21 and 24 makes it possible to compensate for inevitable errors in the halted position of a loading-car, which result in misalignment of the axis of pivot 19 with that of the plug 28; for notwithstanding such misalignments the rotation of the plate 20 can be fully transmitted to the plug 28, the cross and its bearings jointly acting in such cases as a coupling of the type known as an Oldham joint. Moreover, by reason of the cylindrical form of the arms of the cross, the latter is also capable of compensating for errors in parallelism between the plate 20 and the plug 28, whereby the rotation imparted to the plug is at all times a correctly centered rotation whose axis may be kept perpendicular to the plane containing the seat.

The ability of the device to repeat the plug-removing motions presupposes, furthermore, that the center of the cross is for all practical purposes returned to the same position at the end of each operation. This requirement can be satisfied in various ways, depending on the precision with which the gripping device constituted by the plate 25 is brought above the plug, which is in turn governed by the degree of precision with which the loading-car is halted.

For cases where positioning of the loading-car is not very accurate, there may be associated with the cross 22- 23 a set of four springs 38 of identical characteristics, respectively fitted intermediate each of the bearings 21 or 24 and the central portion of the corresponding branch, said springs automatically recentering the plate 25 whenever it escapes from the constraints exerted in the course of repositioning the plug 28 on its seat 29. However, when such springs are provided, in certain cases they may be neutralized between the beginning of removal and the end of replacement of the plug 28 on its seat 29, and this may be accomplished for instance by means of suitably controlled restrainers (not shown) for immobilizing the branches of the cross in their bearings.

An alternative solution would consist in providing a recentering device which dispenses with the need to resort to the four springs referred to precedingly. Such a recentering device could consist, say, of a ring carried by the arm 11 and surrounding the gripping plate 25 with a slight clearance; alternatively, recourse could be had to half-rings carried by the loading-car structure and against which the lower plate 25 could be applied, with the tubular shaft 1 in its uppermost position and the arm 11 in the retracted position; these half-rings would therefore be located adjacent the oscillating limit positions of said arm. The recentering is accomplished by causing the motor 13 to rotate the plate 25, any eccentricity thereof being corrected by the encounter with the corresponding half-rings.

It would even be feasible to utilize a ring segment subtending a smaller angle, for instance 90. Such ring segments would preferably be mounted elastically to facilitate the return of the cross axis into its theoretical position.

Irrespective of the method used, rotation of the plate 20 may be continued between the moment the plug is removed and the moment it is replaced provided that such rotation is limited to a complete number of revolutions.

When positioning of the loading-car is fairly accurate, an abutment may be provided on the plug seat for limiting the oscillating motion of the arm 11 and for consequently replacing the removing device in a position which is only very slightly offset in relation to the plug. Such an abutment may stand only just above the surface and cooperate with a sliding rod carried by the arm. When the latter is in its uppermost position, the lower end of the rod is arrested by said abutments, and when the arm descends the rod slides in a lodging in parallelism with this descending movement. During the rising motion, the rod reverts to its initial position. In such cases, the system can be simplified by dispensing with the springs. The requirement for a complete number of revolutions referred to precedingly should preferably be maintained, as well as the halfring recentering devices, where necessary.

In certain favorable cases, where deep and acutely flared plug seats are used, the rotation of the plug may suflice to ensure automatic centering during the replacing operation. Neutralization of the springs or the provision of other recentering devices then becomes unnecessary (case of FIGS. 3 and 6 to 9).

It may be diflicult, during the descent of the tubular shaft 1, to adjust the pressure exerted on the plug, in which case the utility of the articulation system shown in FIG. 5 is to be considered. Balancing of the parts carried on the two ends of the arm, with respect to the hinge point 32, is such as to cause the arm to tilt downwards on the side of the housing 16, thus positioning the latter below the motor 13.

When the assembly is lowered onto a plug, the contact pressure is limited to the degree of out-of-balance, which could itself be adjusted by a counterweight if desired. This avoids shock loadings above a given impact force, and, by the provision of an electric contact switch for instance, such an arrangement additionally permits of automatically halting the descent of the tubular shaft 1 or 1a when the arm 11 assumes a position close to the horizontal. Furthermore, the screws 33 and 34 limit travel of the arm 11, which has the advantage, during the rotation phase, of preventing any tendency for the plugs to lift and thereby lessen the cleaning effect obtained during that rotation.

It goes without saying that many changes and substitutions of parts may be made to the forms of embodiment hereinbefore described, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. By Way of example, the hook system 2627 could be replaced by -an electromagnet since the ferrous nature of the plugs would enable them to be operated magnetically; in such cases, the centering of the electromagnet may be accomplished in the same way as for the hook system; the electromagnet would have to develop a force suflicient not only to prevent any slip when transmitting the rotating motion but also to lift the plug. Similarly, any other convenient means may be utilized for supporting a plug and imparting rotation to it, as for instance by replacing the plate 20 by an ordinary arm engaging beneath guillotines fixed to the top of a plug.

Moreover, instead of an electric motor 13 and the mechanical system hereinbefore described, recourse may be had to any other means for ultimately engendering rotation in a pin such as the pin 19, such means being positioned anywhere on the retraction arm 11.

Lastly, it is preferable to associate to such arrangements control means for automatically limiting the vertical and rotating motions of the tubular shaft 1 in conjunction, possibly, with means for emitting suitable signals on completion of each motion and means for limiting and reversing rotating motion of the plug.

What I claim is:

1. A device for removing, replacing and sealingly applying against a seat, a plug closing a charging hole of a coke oven cell, said device comprising a support, plug gripping means, rotating means for said gripping means acting substantially concentrically with the axis of said plug resting on its seat, at least a bearing on said support, a tubular shaft mounted in said bearing for axial sliding movement and pivotable movement, means for raising and lowering said tubular shaft relative to said support, means for pivoting said tubular shaft in said bearing, said tubular shaft having a lower extremity and including a transverse arm at said lower extremity, said arm having opposite ends, said rotating means including a motor supported at one end of said arm, said plug gripping means being supported at the other end of said arm, and means on said arm coupling said motor and said gripping means in driving relation.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means coupling the motor and the gripping means comprises joint means for accommodating angular variation of the gripping means relative to said arm to compensate for misalignment and centering errors between the gripping means and a plug.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said joint means comprises a drive plate secured with said arm, bearings diametrically disposed beneath said drive plate, a cross having two aligned branches slidably and rotatably mounted in said bearings, a plug gripping plate under said cross supporting said gripping means, and a second pair of bearings on said gripping plate, said cross having a second pair of branches slidably and rotatably mounted in the second pair of bearings.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 comprising means urging said gripping means to a center position when it is free from a plug which has been applied to its seat.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 comprising elastic means acting on said cross and gripping plate to center the same relative to said drive plate when the gripping means is released from a plug which has been applied to its seat.

6. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said arm is hollow and said means which couples the motor and gripping means comprises a shaft in said arm, and a coupling in said arm driven by the latter shaft and connected to said drive plate.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a pivot connecting said transverse arm and said tubular shaft, and positive abutments between said arm and shaft to 7 limit pivotal movement of said arm relative to said shaft.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said positive abutments are supported for adjustment to regulate the degree of pivotal movement permitted between said arm and shaft.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for pivoting the tubular shaft in said bearing comprisespin and slot means between said shaft and bearing to produce pivotal movement of the shaft in the hearing as the shaft is axially displaced in said bearing.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gripping means comprises L-sh-aped gripping members in diametrically opposed relation beneath said arm, said plug having corresponding L-shaped gripping members facing perpendicular to those of said gripping means 15 when the gripping members are engaged.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1964- Tweit 202262 12/1964 Nepomniashtshy 202-251 FOREIGN PATENTS 909,810 11/ 1962 Great Britain.

U.S. C1. X.R. 202270; 2124 

